2020 -- S 2174

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Pearson, Seveney, Satchell, Sheehan, and Gallo

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2020

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-77.4-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77.4 entitled

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"Mayoral Academies [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-77.4-2. Procedure for creation and expansion of a mayoral academy.

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     (a) Any persons or entities eligible to establish a mayoral academy may submit a

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proposed charter, or an amendment to a charter for an expansion, to the commissioner. For

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purposes of this chapter, "expansion" shall be an increase in total enrollment; an increase in the

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grade levels previously authorized in the charter; or the addition of a school district to the

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catchment area. The proposed charter shall:

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     (1) Be submitted to the commissioner no later than December 1st of the school year

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before the school year in which the mayoral academy is to be established;

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     (2) Describe a plan for education, including the mission, objective, method of providing a

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basic education, measurable student academic goals that the mayoral academy will meet, and

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process for improving student learning and fulfilling the charter and fulfilling state and national

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educational goals and standards;

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     (3) Provide a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction to students per

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year;

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     (4) Indicate performance criteria that will be used to measure student learning and to

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comply with the charter, state, and national educational goals and standards;

 

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     (5) Include an agreement to provide a yearly report to parents, the community, the school

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committee of the sending districts, and the commissioner, that indicates the progress made by the

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mayoral academy during the previous year in meeting the charter objectives;

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     (6) Present a plan for the governance, administration, and operation of the mayoral

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academy, including the manner in which the governing board of the school will be chosen, the

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nature and extent of parental, professional educator, and community involvement in the

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governance and operation of the mayoral academy, and the means of ensuring accountability to

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the commissioner, the sending school district(s), and the council on elementary and secondary

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education;

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     (7) Identify the building that will house the mayoral academy and from whom and under

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what terms and conditions it is to be provided;

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     (8) Describe what support services will be provided by the sending school district(s) and

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under what terms and conditions those services are to be provided, and describe what support

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services the mayoral academy will obtain directly from third parties and, to the extent known,

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under what terms and conditions those services are to be provided;

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     (9) Explain the procedures that will be followed to ensure the health and safety of pupils

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and staff;

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     (10) Describe enrollment procedures, including the permissible criteria for admission in

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accordance with applicable state and federal law, along with a policy, or policies, that outline

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outreach and recruitment programs to encourage the enrollment of a diverse student population;

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     In addition, mayoral academies must reflect the demographics of the sending district(s) in

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terms of special education, English language learners, and students who qualify for free and

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reduced price school meals. No new students shall be enrolled in a mayoral academy or taken

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from waiting lists until equalized demographic numbers are met. Each mayoral academy shall:

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     (i) Continuously readjust their pupil admissions to reflect this requirement;

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     (ii) Not admit a pupil or pupils not in conformance with the demographic requirements

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set out in this section;

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     (iii) Certify to the department of elementary and secondary education and the general

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assembly, on a quarterly basis, that its admissions policy and pupil demographics are in

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conformance with the demographic requirements of this section; and

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     (iv) Submit an annual report to the department of elementary and secondary education

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and the general assembly detailing the demographic breakdown of all pupils and the length of

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time such pupils attended the mayoral academy during said school year;

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     (11) Explain the student discipline procedures;

 

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     (12) Explain the relationship that will exist between the proposed mayoral academy and

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its employees, including the terms and conditions of employment and the qualifications that the

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employees must meet. Teachers and administrators in mayoral academies must be certified

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pursuant to state law and regulation.

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     (13) Each mayoral academy established pursuant to this chapter may, by written notice to

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the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, elect to have this subsection apply (or

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not apply) to its teachers, administrators, and employees:

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     (i) Teachers and administrators in a mayoral academy shall be entitled to prevailing

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wages and benefits as enjoyed by other public school teachers and administrators;

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     (ii) Teachers and administrators in a mayoral academy shall be entitled to participate in

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the state teachers' retirement system under chapter 8 of title 36;

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     (iii) Employment in a mayoral academy shall be considered "service" as that term is

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defined in chapter 16 of this title.

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     (14) Identify, with particularity, the state laws, state regulations, and school district rules

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from which variances are sought in order to facilitate operation of the mayoral academy. Explain

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the reasons for each variance and the alternative method by which the concern that gave rise to

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the regulation or provision will be addressed;

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     (15) Provide a financial plan, including a proposed budget for the term of the charter, and

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an annual audit of the financial and administrative operations of the mayoral academy, and the

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manner in which the funds allocated to the mayoral academy will be managed and disbursed;

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     (16) Provide procedures by which teaching personnel and parents can legally challenge

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decisions of the governing board of the mayoral academy that do not conform to the mayoral

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academy's charter;

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     (17) Provide a copy of the proposed bylaws of the mayoral academy; and

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     (18) Provide written support from the town or city council(s) in the proposed catchment

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area if required pursuant to ยง 16-77-5.1.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

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     This act would require the student populations of mayoral academies to reflect the

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combined demographics of the sending district(s) in terms of the number of students in special

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education, who are English language learners, and who qualify for free and reduced price school

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meals.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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